June 3-12: Cul de Sac play premieres in Arlington

Cul de Sac

Play by Amy Thompson
Adapted from the Comic Strip, Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson

http://www.encorestageva.org/2015/05/19/cul-de-sac/

Four-year-old Alice Otterloop and her older brother, Petey, learn about friendship and the importance of being yourself in this world premier play adaptation of Richard Thompson's nationally syndicated Cul De Sac comic strip. When Alice decides to help Petey become more exciting she risks sending Petey further into his shell. With the help other their parents, teachers, and new and old friends the Otterloop children just might be able to learn something from each other. We recommend this production for ages 4 and older.

Performance Dates and Times:
Friday, June 3, 2016 at 7:30pm
Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 11am and 3pm
Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 3pm
Friday, June 10, 2016 at 7:30pm
Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 11am and 3pm
Sunday, June 12, 2016 at 3pm

All performances are held at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre (125 S. Old Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22204)

Tickets: $15 Adults; $10 Children, Students, Military and Seniors with valid ID. Includes all box office fees. Click here to purchase your tickets online, or call our box office (703)548-1154.

This production is sponsored by Michael Rogers, DDS.

Compleating Cul de Sac book's latest contributions to Team Cul de Sac

Thanks to everyone who bought Compleating Cul de Sac and thus supported Team CdS in fundraising against Parkinson's disease. For the last quarter of 2015, you raised $144.41 which was deposited into Team Fox's account today.

The book is now out of print because we're adding to it and will have an actual publisher. Look for the 2nd edition of the book in Summer 2016 from Lost Art Books. Any profits from the book will continue to go to Team Cul de Sac.

Mike Rhode

Antonin Scalia caricature by Richard Thompson

At some point, Richard drew Justice Scalia. The original was given to Art Wood and is now in the Library of Congress.

Compleating Cul de Sac first edition goes out of print

Compleating Cul de Sac's first edition is now out of print, and it's good news!

We're pleased to announce that we (aka The Thompsons) are just about to sign the contract with Picture This Press for them to publish the grandly-themed Richard Thompson Library. Compleating Cul de Sac version 2.0 is being expanded by editor Rhode and designer Bono Mitchell with more interviews, more Thompson art and more Team Cul de Sac art, even as we type. Any profits from this book will continue to be sent to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to fund Parkinson's research, as we had arranged to do with the first edition.

The draft of The Incompleat Art of Why Things Are with an introduction by Joel Achenbach is in the hands of the publisher who's working with his designer on the book. Scott Stewart is continuing to work on a new collection of caricatures.

In the meantime, all of Richard's Cul de Sac books, and The Art of Richard Thompson are still available from his traditional publisher, Andrews McMeel.

We hope you'll enjoy the new books as they come out over the next several years .

Mike Rhode

Can you name these men?

Philip Mangano, (the Bush administration's "homelessness czar") done for the June 2004 issue of The Atlantic (thanks to Mary Parsons!

As mentioned earlier Scott Stewart is going through Richard's caricatures with the aim of doing a book of them. This involves identifying the subject of hundreds of drawings.  As an experiment in crowd-sourcing, does anyone recognize these two characters?

John Kasich (thanks to blog reader Sam, 

and editorial cartoonist Nate Beeler)

More Richard Thompson in Food News

Here's a list of all the issues that I noticed Richard's work in. While we show the covers, Richard also has interior artwork in them. Hat-tip to Scott Stewart who first found this resource for the issues.

3:3: Summer 1986 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316026

3:4 Holiday 1986 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316027

4:1 Spring 1987 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316028

4:2 Summer 1987 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316029
4:3 Fall 1987 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316030

4:4 Winter 1987 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316031

5:1 Spring 1988 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316032 (internal illos)

5:2 Summer 1988 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316033

5:3 Holidays 1988 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316034

5:4 Winter 1989 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316035

6:1 Spring 1989 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316036

6:2 Summer 1989 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316037

6:3 Holidays 1989 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316038

7:2 Summer 1990 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316041

7:4 Winter 1990 - https://archive.org/details/CAT82764316043 (page 15)

Another illustration from Food News, Spring 1987

Here's another image by Richard from the bygone days of the last century. One can really see his Searle influence here

.

'Food News' Cover of Cows and Chickens

Scott Stewart is working on going through Richard's caricatures with the aim of doing a book on them. He pulled this quote out of an interview Richard did with Mike Rhode and went digging until he found this picture.

RT: Well, if people see you in the Post, they think of you especially if it's local … around Washington there are a lot of associations and every association has a magazine or a newsletter or some print venue (this is in the '80s when everything was print). They have holes to fill too, so… You could support yourself on that, whether you want to or not. The government too – I did something for the publication Food News at the Department of Agriculture drawing some cows and chickens. If you get a chance to draw a cow, you can't turn it down. (Audience laughs).

MR: Wildly-collectible now…

RT: Yeah, exactly.

A Richard's Poor Almanac "Star Wars"

This just in from a curator at the Air & Space Museum who owns the original. Richard did it when there was a Star Wars exhibit in the museum.

Even more Cul de Sac stocking stuffers - playing cards!

Suicidal Clown Playing Cards by Thompsoniana
Look at another Deck of Cards online at zazzle.com

So You Think You're Lucky? Playing Cards by Thompsoniana
Check out Luck Classic Playing Cards online at zazzle

Tragedy and Comedy Playing Cards by Thompsoniana
Shop for another Deck of Cards online at zazzle.com

Cat in a Sombrero Playing Cards by Thompsoniana
View other Playing Card Decks at zazzle.com

Need a last minute holiday card?

Check out Thompsoniana cards on Zazzle. They're 1/2 price through Sunday with the code EXPRESSCARDS

You'll be glad you did. Where else are you going to get a "Cat in a Sombrero Card"?

Happy Beethoven's birthday

Richard Thompson traditionally wishes all his fans a Happy Beethoven birthday. On his behalf, I do so today (a day early as it turns out so you got TWO days of best Beethoven wishes). - Mike Rhode

New holiday Thompsoniana swag available

Richard has always stood for giving his fans what they want* so today we unveil some more Christmas ornaments and other swell gift items. Coincidentally**, they're also on sale, today only, for 50% off with before-Christmas delivery. Use the code: ZGIFTSBYXMAS. - Mike Rhode

Saint Santa ornament by Richard Thompson by Thompsoniana
Shop for Christmas Ornaments online at Zazzle.com

May all your Christmas sweaters be warm & ugly Square Ornament by Thompsoniana
Shop for a new Christmas tree ornament

Cul de Sac: This Exit ornament by Thompsoniana
Design your own ornaments at Zazzle.

Silly Cosmology Ornament by Thompsoniana
Check out other Turtles Ornaments at zazzle.com

Team Cul de Sac Ornament by Thompsoniana
Make your own ornaments at Zazzle

May all your Christmas sweaters be warm & ugly Mug by Thompsoniana
Browse more Cul de sac Mugs at Zazzle

The Dickensian holiday party puzzle by Thompsoniana
View more Charles dickens Puzzles

Cul de Sac and Adjacent Places Puzzle by Thompsoniana
Find other Cul de sac Puzzles at zazzle.com

*Not really. Especially when they're his editors.
**Also untrue.

A Cul de Sac Thanksgiving, 2008

 

originally appeared in the Washington Post Magazine, Nov 27, 2008.

David Bragunier

David Bragunier was principal tuba player for the National Symphony Orchestra  for 43 years. He was also my friend Bono Mitchell's neighbor for 37 years; neighbor, friend, brother-she-never-had. [He passed away in July - here's his obituary in The Post. I believe he commissioned the Mstislav Rostropovich caricature that Richard shows below - MR].
                

A video.

This blog is not abandoned...

... sometimes it just feels that way. I spoke with Richard today, and he would like his readers to know that while he's having trouble physically being able to blog, he still likes to hear from people. (We're also trying to set up a workaround so he can use the blog again.)

Here's a  recent photo of Richard at a showing of The Art of Richard Thompson short film. Director Bob Burnett posted it on Facebook, writing "Alexandria Film Festival (where RT received a standing ovation after the screening) the producer Andy "Hamdinger" Hemmendinger makes an appearance too."

Here's Richard with Pixar director Pete Docter, who hired him to work on Inside Out.
 

And here's an image or two from the upcoming book, The Incompleat Art of Why Things Are." Details to follow when they're finalized.

-- Mike Rhode

An Eisner

Well, two,  but one's enough. I want to thank the judges,, everyone who voted,  especially  for me, and for courage in the face of wicked witches above & beyond I'd like to thank Nick Galifianakis, David Apatoff and Chris Sparks, who had to accept the Eisner on my behalf (photo below) because I'm scared of public speaking and was busy that night.

  

Ham-Fisted Plagiarism or What?

Offered here without comment is this story and this cartoon, which predates it by more than a decade...

3 (THREE) DAYS TO VOTE!

Are you a comics professional? Warning signs include:

• Blood in the stool
• Tinitus
• Angst
• Euphoria
• Confusion

Plus the symptoms covered previously. If you suffer from any of these, you may be eligible to VOTE IN THE EISNERS! Named for multi-talinted  Ed  Eisner [NO, IT WASN'T. IF THS CHILDISHNESS CONTINUES RESPONSIBLE ADULTS MIGHT BE FORCED TO COMMANDEER THIS BLOG. NOW LET'S SEE WHAT BRIAN FRIES SAID.]

Reminding, asking, pleading....there's such a fine line between those words. Eisner Award voting closes June 1, and comics pros--which includes not just writers and artists but educators, librarians, booksellers, journalists, editors--are eligible to vote. I'm up for Best Digital/Web Comic and would appreciate your consideration (don't forget, if you voted online you can always go back and revise your ballot!). The link: http://eisnervote.com/

Other worthy names/titles I think deserve your vote (taking nothing away from their competitors) include Raina Telgemeier, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast, El Deafo by Cece Bell, The Complete Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson, Kill My Mother by Jules Feiffer, and Stan Sakai for everything.

          

Compleating Cul de Sac available now - New Richard Thompson book out

Richard's friend Mike here -

The Complete Cul de Sac isn’t.

Complete, that is. Compiling it while ill, Richard accidentally left out some strips. Others were purposely left out, either because he had redrawn them for syndication, or they were too tied to the Washington, D.C. origins of the strip to make sense for a worldwide audience, or he “just felt some were not funny.” Over 100 are not in The Complete CDS.

But if you’re a cartoon completist, or just want a little bit more CDS, we understand and we’re here for you. We’ve collected the lost water-colored Washington Post Magazine strips, the early inchoate musings about what the strip should be, the promotional material, the sketches for fans, and finally some fugitive Team Cul de Sac charity art by Art Spiegelman, KAL, Patrick McDonnell, Eric Shansby, Nate Beeler and others.

With Richard’s blessing, or at least active acquiescence, any money the book makes will go to Team Cul de Sac to fight Parkinson’s disease.

And if more art surfaces, we’ll do a second edition. (if you've got something, drop me a line)

Compleating Cul de Sac
by Richard Thompson, Michael Rhode and Chris Sparks
Asheville, NC: Team Cul de Sac & Arlington, VA: ComicsDC, 2015.


Available in paperback: http://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-rhode/compleating-cul-de-sac/paperback/product-22163926.html

hardcover: http://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-rhode/compleating-cul-de-sac-hardcover/hardcover/product-22163989.html

ebook pdf: http://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-rhode/compleating-cul-de-sac-ebook/ebook/product-22185584.html

Save 25% on all print books with code MEMORIAL through May 27.

Team Cul de Sac art by Terry Flippo